Recap /
My Little Pony Friends Forever Issue 5

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The animals suddenly be very talkative. Though does that mean that they also be cooperative?

Written by Thomas Zahler, Art by Tony Fleecs

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Fluttershy wakes up one day to find that all her animal friends can talk to her in normal, pony-based language instead of chirps and squeaks. When she tries to explain this to Rarity, her friend just passes it off as a sign of being too tired. Fearing she is losing her senses, she goes to Zecora to see if she knows anything. The zebra runs Fluttershy through a number of tests, mostly to verify that she herself hasn't been charmed or magicked. Zecora brings in a raccoon to try to have it "speak" to Fluttershy, but the critter stays silent, and Zecora starts to wonder if Fluttershy is going crazy.

While Zecora tends to something in a different room, the raccoon speaks up and says he needs to get to some planned event and leaves, with Fluttershy giving chase. When Zecora finds Fluttershy absent, she brings in two wandering cats and interrogates them - and then forces them through a comedy routine - eventually discovering that they can talk, but were told only to talk to Fluttershy by an entity they can't reveal. Zecora heads off to find Fluttershy.

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Meanwhile, Fluttershy has followed the raccoon back to a large gathering of animals, lead by a very talkative Angel Bunny. By the time Zecora arrives, she discovers that the animals have all set up a giant tea party for Fluttershy, and are anxious to hear more of her adventure stories. While Fluttershy is having fun, she realizes that this is still unnatural, and prompted by Zecora, determines the true culprit: Discord. The Spirit of Chaos appears, saying this was all a gift for Fluttershy for being good friends. Fluttershy, though still a bit distraught on the suddenness of the gift, thanks Discord and goes back to talking to her animals. Zecora, having a feeling Discord was behind it, reminds him he'll have to turn the animals back to normal, still wary of his mischievous ways. Discord promises and admits that this was all in hopes of helping to keep his friendship with Fluttershy in his path of reformation.

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This issue provides examples of:

Bait-and-Switch: The attitudes of the animals hinted that they were planning something sinister. Turns out they were throwing Fluttershy a surprise party.

Batman Gambit: Zecora starts a comedy routine on the two cats she grabbed, then pretends to forget the punchline of a joke, leading to one of the cats bursting out the answer in frustration.

Blade on a Stick: Zecora's Jaffa Stick, a tribal-esque spear. How she plans on using that to solve Fluttershy's problems is a mystery.

Continuity Nod: The animals make mention of Fluttershy's adventures in the "Crystal Kingdom".

Character Development: For Discord, we learn that he sees his path to redemption as being through maintaining his friendship with Fluttershy. Given this came out after the Season 4 finale, in which the friendship between Discord and Fluttershy is tested, gives Discord's motivation here a much more poignant meaning.

G-Rated Drug: Zecora uses catnip as a bribe to two cats to get them to spill the beans.

Talking Animal: While the show implied that she had at least a base understanding of their languages, the animals becoming Suddenly Voiced and able to speak to Fluttershy in a language everypony can understand is new.

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